Katherine Center

Hello, Stranger

Haritha R

it’s easier to be less mad at people when other parts of your life are happy.

It takes a certain kind of courage to be brave in love. A courage you can only get better at through practice.

 I didn’t want people to feel sorry for me —or to be broken or changed or different. I didn’t want to not be okay. I thought, if I just pretended to be fine and not need anyone or anything, that would be enough. That’s how I’ve always managed. I’ve been pretending to be okay pretty much since the day my mom died. But I’m not okay, Joe. That’s the truth. I’m absolutely, astonishingly … not okay right now. And I don’t even know sometimes what okay even is. But my neuropsychologist says you can either pretend to be okay or you can actually be okay, but you can’t do both. So this is my first step, I think. To stop pretending. To start being honest about my life in the bravest, boldest way possible

My fourteen-year-old interpretation had been to assume that I’d caused that moment to unfold that way. That I’d driven my father away with my neediness. And I’d emerged from that time in our lives with a wrong lesson about how the world works, thinking that if I wanted to be loved—and who doesn’t?—I needed to make sure to never need anybody. Ever. Oh, the comedy. All this time, I’d been doubling down on the wrong thing. I thought that the only way to be close was to stay far away.

Maybe there are all kinds of ways to win. Maybe it’s a chance for you to make your own set of rules.” “You’re saying I should give up?” “Don’t give up. Just shoot for a different kind of victory.” “You can’t just not win and pretend that you did.” “Look,” Sue said. “Maybe you can’t do your usual thing right now. What if you do something crazy and different? What if instead of trying to make a thing you can’t make, you try to do something else?”

I didn’t have to do any of this. The idea misted me with relief. I didn’t have to just endlessly suffer and suffer and suffer. I could just … quit.

“If I think everything is terrible, then everything will be terrible?” She nodded, like, Bingo. “But I do think everything is terrible.”

“You’re very in your head,” she said. “I’d like to see you dip into your heart.” “I like it in my head.” “But that’s not really where we live.”

“I’m just going to take a fake-it-til-ya-make-it approach.” That’s what I’d been doing my whole life. “If I can’t be okay, I’ll seem okay.” “Seeming okay and being okay are not the same thing.”

“Here’s a hypothetical question,” she said next. “If there’s a five percent chance something bad will happen, and a ninety-five percent chance that things will be fine, which one is more likely?” Was this a trick question? “That things will be fine?” She nodded. “I want you to work on that.” “Work on what?” “On which of your thoughts you’re going to choose to indulge in.” “Is this about my worrying I’ll get stuck like this?” She nodded again. “Our thoughts create our emotions. So if you fixate on your worst-case scenario, you’ll make things harder for yourself.” “You want me not to fixate on the worst-case scenario?” “I want you to start practicing the art of self-encouragement.” “So when I catch myself worrying, I should try to convince myself that things are going to be fine?” “That’s one way to do it.” “But what if I don’t believe it?” “Then keep arguing.” I was supposed to argue myself into feeling optimistic? “I’ve never been great at optimism,” I said. “That’s what the arguing is for.” “I’m not very good at arguing, either.” “Maybe this is a chance to get better.” But I’d learned long ago that arguing didn’t get you very far. 

Rebecca Hurd

I really enjoyed this book!! Big fan of Katherine Center she does a great job of creating really complex and well thought out characters!! The idea of having face blindness really made the story quite interesting and unique in a romance.

This was so easy to read and fun. 🤍 I’m glad I randomly picked it out of my Libby to read. It didn’t even take me a whole day!

Sophy

Amelia Hruby

Erin Darlyn

Naiya

I loved how everything came together at the end!

Kenzi Linton

I was able to read this for free thanks to Net Galley, although that does not affect my opinion of the actual book. I am a huge fan of Katherine Centers work, so when I got the notification that I was approved to read an advanced copy of her newest story, my joy was high. This book was phenomenal, and I think it’s my new favorite by Katherine. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I realized about halfway through what was possibly happening and when it turned out to be true, I was giddy at reading it all happen. This book taught me about new things that I wasn’t aware of. It made me laugh, it made me smile and it had moments of sadness. Overall, this book is a must read for sure.

Sara Uribe

I received an eARC & audiobook in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hello Stranger was one unique and heartwarming story that I really needed! This is my second time reading a book by this author, and I should really read her more often. I read this at the perfect time because I am also in the middle of reading a dark romance and this was such a great change in pace. I really just needed something warm and fuzzy to sink my teeth into! I could absolutely see this entire book coming from the beginning. But, I strapped myself in and enjoyed the ride. It was so sweet and dealt with real life issues, but it wasn’t all in your face about it. Though Sophie and Joe annoyed me at some parts, in the end, I really loved them both. They grew on me and I thought they were such a great fit for one another. This is easily one of those books that you can read in one sitting and is a perfect book for the beach. It’s a fun book that will captivate you from beginning to end.

I will say that I had the pleasure of listening to this on audio as well. It was such a great listen. The narrator, Patti Murin, did a fantastic job. This is the first time I’ve read a book that she narrated and I listen to her again.

The final thing I’d like to say is fuck Parker 🖕🏻😊

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3 stars. The ending was awesome and I didn’t see it coming. But I didn’t like 80% of the book. I just kept reading it because I didn’t want to dnf it. But I’m glad I read it because I enjoyed the ending. 

lucy lou

Alissa Maloney

I found out this treasure was available on NetGalley and I literally stopped everything and requested it. I am SO glad that I did! Katherine Center's writing is not super exciting, super spicy or adventurous, but she has a quiet way of writing a COMFORT read that creeps up on me and onto my favorites list. Not to say that all of her books are 5☆ for me, but the ones that are... **chef's kiss** Her emotions that are woven into each character hit just the right note of sweet, not spicy to not be too "fluffy."

Although I was able to guess the plot twist, the “anticipation” of what would happen, delivered all I wanted and more! I highly recommend reading the extra excerpt from the author - very enlightening!

julie reads

taylor

 Katherine Center never disappoints! Such a great read! Fun and unique storyline, quirky characters, especially Sadie. I devoured this book start to finish! 

Kathleen Powers

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A story about a portrait artist trying to navigate the world after a life changing accident where she can no longer see faces. As an artist whose main focus is painting facial structures, this new reality is a huge adjustment for Sadie, who is also one of the finalists for a portrait competition with an upcoming deadline. With all this going on, Sadie is also entangled between the affections of two men.

The author’s storytelling allows the reader to understand the main character Sadie immediately like in the first chapter I already know about her relationships with both her parents and the allowed me to connect with her character.

“Plus, don’t we all, deep down, carry an inextinguishable longing for our parents to be proud of us? Even long after we’ve given up?”

Due to her upbringing, Sadie has developed this “never needs help” and “i’m always okay” attitude which I found relatable in a way. So Sadie is trying to overcome that as well as confirmation bias.

“I didn’t want to not be okay. I thought, if I just pretended to be fine and not need anyone or anything, that would be enough.”

It was interesting to learn more about face blindness or, prosopagnosia! I feel like this condition is rarely talked about and I'm glad this book is giving more perspective on this topic. I enjoyed Sadie’s self discovery and character development in this book as she works through her family issues, take care of her fluffy best friend, and figuring out her career. Personally, I felt like the story felt scattered with so much plot points going on and with underwhelming conclusions to those plot points. For example, Sadie’s family issues wasn’t fully resolved but I enjoyed Parker getting her karma.

I wish the romance aspect was more prominent but it was still cute. It would’ve been nice to know more about Joe’s character too. To add on, it is heavily emphasized that Joe’s character is a “helper” and always helps others. Like that’s one of the main issues with Joe’s previous marriage too bc he helps a lot apparently. However, it felt like out of character for him not to help Sadie by not attending the art galley with her. I guess its understandable why he didn’t but it was still off to me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A story about a portrait artist trying to navigate the world after a life changing accident where she can no longer see faces. As an artist whose main focus is painting facial structures, this new reality is a huge adjustment for Sadie, who is also one of the finalists for a portrait competition with an upcoming deadline. With all this going on, Sadie is also entangled between the affections of two men.

The author’s storytelling allows the reader to understand the main character Sadie immediately like in the first chapter I already know about her relationships with both her parents and the allowed me to connect with her character.

“Plus, don’t we all, deep down, carry an inextinguishable longing for our parents to be proud of us? Even long after we’ve given up?”

Due to her upbringing, Sadie has developed this “never needs help” and “i’m always okay” attitude which I found relatable in a way. So Sadie is trying to overcome that as well as confirmation bias.

“I didn’t want to not be okay. I thought, if I just pretended to be fine and not need anyone or anything, that would be enough.”

It was interesting to learn more about face blindness or, prosopagnosia! I feel like this condition is rarely talked about and I'm glad this book is giving more perspective on this topic. I enjoyed Sadie’s self discovery and character development in this book as she works through her family issues, take care of her fluffy best friend, and figuring out her career. Personally, I felt like the story felt scattered with so much plot points going on and with underwhelming conclusions to those plot points. For example, Sadie’s family issues wasn’t fully resolved but I enjoyed Parker getting her karma.

I wish the romance aspect was more prominent but it was still cute. It would’ve been nice to know more about Joe’s character too. To add on, it is heavily emphasized that Joe’s character is a “helper” and always helps others. Like that’s one of the main issues with Joe’s previous marriage too bc he helps a lot apparently. However, it felt like out of character for him not to help Sadie by not attending the art galley with her. I guess its understandable why he didn’t but it was still off to me.

i thought the story was really interesting and the premise of it caught me but i was admittedly really stressed the whole book because of sadie’s lack of communication with everyone about what was happening. i know it sets up for the twist at the end but miscommunication is one of my least favorite tropes so i admit it got me stressssssed the whole time. i feel like this is more of a women’s fiction story than a romance novel but i still enjoyed it! thank you netgalley for the advance copy of this novel. 

kelly bee

Hello Stranger was the first book I have read that was written by Katherine Center, and it won’t be my last! The book starts out with Sadie, an aspiring portrait artist, who has just won a prestigious art contest. Unfortunately, she soon has an accident that leaves her with an potentially career-ending symptom: she can’t read faces. With her loving dog, Peanut, by her side, she slowly begins to learn to navigate a world and her artistic place in it.

The premise of this book was one that immediately hooked me. How can you have a romantic book if the main character can’t recognize anyone’s face? Well, believe me: Katherine Center is able to do it, and she does it in style. There are many awkward and funny mishaps in the book because of her new medical malady that left me chuckling and blushing in embarrassment right along with Sadie. It felt like I was right there with her! Not only is the book humorous, it has a hidden depth. There are threads of family trauma and self-worth that I found particularly touching and relevant. This book has a little bit of everything.

Right from the start, I fell in love with Sadie’s internal monologue and narrative. As a character, she was funny and a bit quirky (but in the best way!). Katherine Center was able to perfectly blend relatable and unique with Sadie. I mean she frequently plans her imaginary wedding with strangers she meets in the street in a way that is approachable and not that of a stalker. Who hasn’t done the same? Unlike other “perky” Rom-Com heroines, she didn’t take her new illness in stride, and it made her that much more real for it. I, too, would want to hole away in my room if I were in her shoes! Thankfully, she is surrounded by family and friends who make the book come alive from her spontaneous, well-intentioned best friend to her all-knowing doctor to her quirky neighbor. You slowly, but surely will fall in love with each of these characters.

With it being a Rom-Com, I can’t talk about this book without mentioning the romance. I absolutely loved the love interest. I am not ashamed to say that I squealed and “aw”-ed many a time throughout this book. Reading this book was like getting wrapped in a cozy blanket: it makes you feel all tingly and safe… but it can also get a little warm too! While this book certainly does not have any detailed spicy scenes, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t some scenes that are downright swoon-worthy.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book in a way that I was not anticipating! It had amazing characters, funny plot points, and a twist you won’t see coming! I highly recommend this amazing novel to anyone who loves the Rom-Com movies of the 2000s, laughing at life’s awkward mishaps, and learning how to appreciate challenges as they may turn out to be your greatest gift!

*Special thanks to Netgalley for letting me read such as cool book! Was not expecting it to be this awesome!

Kendall V

Hello Stranger was the first book I have read that was written by Katherine Center, and it won’t be my last! The book starts out with Sadie, an aspiring portrait artist, who has just won a prestigious art contest. Unfortunately, she soon has an accident that leaves her with an potentially career-ending symptom: she can’t read faces. With her loving dog, Peanut, by her side, she slowly begins to learn to navigate a world and her artistic place in it.

The premise of this book was one that immediately hooked me. How can you have a romantic book if the main character can’t recognize anyone’s face? Well, believe me: Katherine Center is able to do it, and she does it in style. There are many awkward and funny mishaps in the book because of her new medical malady that left me chuckling and blushing in embarrassment right along with Sadie. It felt like I was right there with her! Not only is the book humorous, it has a hidden depth. There are threads of family trauma and self-worth that I found particularly touching and relevant. This book has a little bit of everything.

Right from the start, I fell in love with Sadie’s internal monologue and narrative. As a character, she was funny and a bit quirky (but in the best way!). Katherine Center was able to perfectly blend relatable and unique with Sadie. I mean she frequently plans her imaginary wedding with strangers she meets in the street in a way that is approachable and not that of a stalker. Who hasn’t done the same? Unlike other “perky” Rom-Com heroines, she didn’t take her new illness in stride, and it made her that much more real for it. I, too, would want to hole away in my room if I were in her shoes! Thankfully, she is surrounded by family and friends who make the book come alive from her spontaneous, well-intentioned best friend to her all-knowing doctor to her quirky neighbor. You slowly, but surely will fall in love with each of these characters.

With it being a Rom-Com, I can’t talk about this book without mentioning the romance. I absolutely loved the love interest. I am not ashamed to say that I squealed and “aw”-ed many a time throughout this book. Reading this book was like getting wrapped in a cozy blanket: it makes you feel all tingly and safe… but it can also get a little warm too! While this book certainly does not have any detailed spicy scenes, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t some scenes that are downright swoon-worthy.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book in a way that I was not anticipating! It had amazing characters, funny plot points, and a twist you won’t see coming! I highly recommend this amazing novel to anyone who loves the Rom-Com movies of the 2000s, laughing at life’s awkward mishaps, and learning how to appreciate challenges as they may turn out to be your greatest gift!

*Special thanks to Netgalley for letting me read such as cool book! Was not expecting it to be this awesome!

I love Katherine center and this one was no different. I thought the storyline was super unique and I loved that aspect of it. Once you get into the conflict of the story I think most of us can guess the outcome. But this isn’t a thriller and the author taught us some great lessons along the way. This one will keep you laughing the entire time like any of centers books. I really enjoyed

Hello, Stranger

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